Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-02-25
THE FARMERS GLASS.
Lecture by II. Nyrick, Editor of the New
England homestead.

listen to the lecture on Cattle Feeding
for Profit and for Manure" by II. Myrick,
editor of the NCU Engldnd Homestead.
Mr.. Myrick stated at the outset that his
subject involved some fundamental prin-
ciples of which all farmers have general
idea, but that the purpose OF his lecture
was to set forth and explain in practical
manner some of the experiments which
have been made at experiment stations in
this country and in Europe on the subject
of foods for cattle. In order TO bring the
subject more definitely before his hearers,
the lecturer distributed some printed
tables showing the manurial value of diff
ferent foods and the composition and di
gestiblity of the principal American arti-
cles of stock food. The first table, which
was explained by the lecturer. showed the
total or original manure value of the most
commonly used cattle foods expressed in
pounds per ton. That is taking wheat
bran as an example, the average of 81
analyses shows that an average ton of
wheat bran contains ~ pounds of nitro
gen, 60.2 pounds of phosphoric acid and 32
pounds OF potash, worth Sl3. Now the
question is, how much of this Sl3 worth
of plant food goes into the manure when
ton OF wheat bran is fed to stock This is
hard question to answer. If we feed the
ton OF wheat bran to a COW and all the
solid ana liquid manure is saved, the
manure must contain all of the three
elements that were in the bran except
what was used up in the milk and III
supporting the cows body and life. The
German eNperimentors think that mich
cows use up about 20 per cent OF the
nitrogen, potash and phosphorlc acid IN
their feed, SO that 50 per cent of the man
urial value of the bran goes into the
manure. And rs SOper cent OF Sl3 is $40, 40
the latter sum shows the value OF the
plant food added to the manure pile with
each ton of wheat bran fed to mich cows.
II the manure is exposed to rains so that
the soluble elements are washed out, you
lose from 50 to - worth of the $40 worth
of plant food added by feeding the bran.
Inc elements OF plant food are nitrogen,
pnOsphOrlc acld ana potash. these eie
ments the farmer gets in manure, and Is
the most available form. In many cases
the manure IS about the only net profit
the importance of knowing the manurial
value Of different foods Is evident. 1t
should be borne in mind also that the
quality of the manure depends on the
KIND Of food. Another important point
l. that the lnti-ested portion of the food
passes OH IN the eNcrement and becomes
HYalaDie as manure. The potash and
phOsphOrlc ACID OF the food, when digest
ed passes OF In the solid eXcrement. But
when the protein compounds are digeSted
they cnaNGe ID urea ana pass oil IN the
urine. Therefore it is very important to
save the nitrogen in the liquid eXcrements
by the Tree use OF absorbents.
The lecturer then explained at length
the tables OF manurlal values, showing
the quantities of nitrogen, phosphoric
acid and potash in long list of feeding
Stutfs, with the valuation OF the same per
-
their use in these columns, but they can
De OBTAINED at the experiment station or
at the Office OF the NGD Engldnd Home
StCdd, and should be OF great practical
value to the farmer.
Inc lecturer sad that the sources or
waste, error ana loss are much less III
buying gram and feeding 1t to stock for
manure than in buying commercial fertll-
lZerS. But we must not ConfOund the
manurial value of foods with their feed
ing, value. These two things are en-
urely distinct. The principal elements
OF animal fOOd are protein, ash, lat,
carp nydrates and hbre; and the
feeding value OF fodder de
pends upon the amount of dry matter II
contains. The fats oi,l food include the solld
Iats, the wax, etc. The carbohydrates are
starch, sugarand gum nbre is alsoa carb-
hydr1te,Du Is more lnSoluDie ana Is class
ed separately. The protein compounds are
the Y.1uclpHl llesh ana muscle formers.
The fats in the food also makes fat IL the
body. Carb-hydrates furnish heat but
all these elements perform more or less
The iunctIons OF each other. 1t makes no
difference now many of these elements are
present in the food, if the animal can not
digest them; so that the value of fodder
ultimately depends upon the amount of
nutrients in it that are digestble. This is
determined by scientific test, Analysing
and weighing the amounts of food ele-
meuts taken by COW and then the cor
responding amounts rejected by her The
digestlbility of concentrated folders il
determined IN the same way, although
the process IS more complicated. Then
too the digestibliity of an article of fodder
depends to some extent upon the kind OF
cover III which the nutritious elements
are enclosed When hard covers are dis
solved scientifically the result Is that
the nutritious elements are more
readily asslmllated. This is where
the value OF the sllo comes in. The differ
ent nutrients differ in dige6tibility. Or
heavy feed, however well balanced, 6
Larger amount passes through undigest
ed than in light, moderate feeding, but il
) to the benefit OF the manure IL has beer